


These High Walls (Fly With Me)

by FallingLikeThis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Peter Pan Fusion, Alternate Universe - Rapunzel Fusion, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flying, Freedom, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Loneliness, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24035122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: Harry is a kidnapped young man trapped in a tower, all his beautiful hair cut off because of the last time he tried to escape. He’s stopped wishing to be on the ground because he knows it’s impossible. Now, his head is in the clouds. If you’re going to want something impossible, why not wish for the stars instead, right? And somewhere far away on a distant star, a fairy hears his wish.A Rapunzel/Peter Pan au.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 33
Kudos: 98
Collections: Walls Fic Fest





	These High Walls (Fly With Me)

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the song Walls. Well, one specific part anyway. Thank you to everyone who read over this for me!

Harry stares out the window of his tower, watching the night covered forest below. How he used to long to be down there. He resents it now. What has the world below ever gotten him besides punishment and heartache? He touches the ends of his once-long hair. It only reaches his shoulders now. The witch that keeps him here had shorn it all off the last time he’d tried to escape. It had been both his salvation and his downfall, helping him escape the tower but getting tangled in every loose branch in the forest as he ran for freedom. The witch had caught him before he’d gotten very far. 

Harry sighs, he’s done wishing to be a part of that world. Instead, he raises his eyes to the sky, a small smile growing on his face. The sky is infinitely more beautiful, so many worlds to wish for up there. 

“If only I could fly,” he whispers to no one. He’s seventeen now and smart enough to know that wishes are foolish, but his heart won’t listen to reason. It still makes wishes for him anyway. He stares, imagining another world on a distant star. Maybe he could be free there, have friends, go on adventures. Maybe he could really get the chance to _live_.

When his eyelids start drooping of their own accord, Harry pushes himself away from his window and drags his tired feet to bed. He dreams of an island full of boys, lost just like him, but not alone because they have each other.

Even in his sleep, Harry’s heart makes a wish. This one is different from the others. Those were idle little thoughts, suppressed by his belief that wishes had no power, no solace to offer him. But in dreams, wishes become powerful things, unhindered by logic or disbelief. They become real, echoing across distances to find the thing that is wished for and bring it back to the wisher. 

It’s nearly morning when Harry rolls over in bed as he sleeps and suddenly, a boy who can fly peeks his head in the window.

*

Louis quietly creeps closer to the boy sleeping in the bed. He’s been whimpering since Louis stepped inside the window and Louis hates that pained sound. His lost boys used to make those sounds at night before Louis or Tinker Bell would soothe them to sleep, letting them know that even if they were lost, Louis and Tink would be their new family. They’d take care of each other. Louis hasn’t heard those sounds for a long time, but they still make him hurt for the boy making them.

He reaches out to rouse the boy, but pulls his hand back suddenly when the boy starts sobbing, afraid he’s frightened him somehow. When he realizes that the boy is still asleep, he moves closer again, laying his hand gently on his shoulder.

“Boy…” Louis calls softly, trying to rouse him without spooking him. The boy’s eyes open slowly, blinking at Louis without really seeing him yet. “Why are you crying?” Louis asks, kneeling next to the small bed.

The boy sniffs, opening his mouth to answer when it seems to catch up to him that there’s a stranger in his room. He shuffles up in the bed and pushes himself back against the wall. “Who are you? How did you get in here?

“I flew,” Louis answers, pointing to the window and tilting his head at the boy curiously. “Is that not how _you_ get in and out? I didn’t see any doors.”

“I don’t get out,” the boy admits forlornly, drawing his knees up to his chest. “I’m trapped here.”

“Is that why you were crying?” Louis asks, sitting on the edge of the bed, but far enough away not to make the boy feel unsafe. 

“Sort of,” the boy says, watching Louis warily over his knees. “I was dreaming of somewhere else. Somewhere nice, where I’m not alone. Where I’m free.”

“That does sound nice,” Louis agrees with a warm smile, fond memories filling his mind. “Sounds like my home.” He looks at the boy with his head bent over his knees, a sense of hopelessness shrouding him. Louis wants to help him so much. He holds out his hand, an offering. “I could take you there.”

The boy lifts his head a little but his gaze is suspicious. “I don’t even know who you are.”

Louis supposes he’s right. He remembers the boy asking before but he hadn’t answered, had he? He turns his hand sideways, holding it for the boy to shake in greeting like he’s so often seen adults do as he announces, “I’m Louis. And you are?”

“Harry,” the boy says uncertainly, taking Louis’ hand slowly as though he’s afraid he’s being lured into a trap.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Harry,” Louis says, shaking his hand with enough vigor that it makes him laugh a little. Which is just what Louis was going for. “Now, there’s a pretty smile,” he says, feeling all warm inside just from causing it. 

Harry bites down on his smile, ducking his head shyly. “Thank you,” he whispers, a pink blush dusting his cheeks. Louis feels something shift inside him at the sight of it, some long-isolated part of his heart, suddenly trembling to life. 

The boy looks at Louis, just watching for a moment, maybe replaying their conversation in his head because suddenly his head tilts and his eyes squint in confusion. “ _Did you say you can fly_?” 

Harry looks skeptical and Louis feels a surge of adrenaline at the idea of proving himself.

“Yep,” he chirps with a grin, standing tall and placing his hands on his hips as he slowly rises off the ground. Harry’s eyes widen and his mouth falls open at the sight of Louis floating in front of him. He looks awed, but also a little wary and seeing that has Louis drifting back down to the floor. “Are you alright?” He asks, taking a step closer to the bed. He stops when Harry tenses at the movement. “I’m not gonna hurt you, I promise.”

“Are you--” Harry cuts himself off, swallowing harshly. “Do you know the witch?”

“Witch?” Louis repeats, quickly looking over his shoulder and then giving the rest of the room a rapid search as he steps closer to Harry, the urge to shield him overwhelming even though they just met. Louis doesn’t see anyone else but that doesn’t mean no one is there. He knows how sneaky magical beings can be. “Is there a witch here?” he whispers urgently. “Is she evil?”

“She’s not here now,” Harry tells him, seeming to relax at Louis’ reaction to his question. “She only comes here when I try to escape. I don’t know how she knows but she always does.”

“So, yes to her being evil, then,” Louis surmises, still looking around. He doesn’t trust evil witches. They tend to be evil.

Harry’s hand captures his wrist, pulling his attention from the hidden nooks and crannies of the room that he’s been eyeing suspiciously. “Trust me. She’s not here,” Harry tells him when their eyes meet. “I can’t explain it, but I feel it when she’s close.”

The thing is, looking into Harry’s wide green eyes and feeling the warmth of his skin against his wrist, Louis _does_ trust him. Which is new for Louis because he’s never trusted someone so easily before. It took him weeks before he’d trusted Tinker Bell enough to let her teach him to fly. He just hopes Harry is as quick to trust him in return because he doubts they have weeks before the witch comes back. 

“Okay,” Louis breathes, pulling his wrist away just enough that his hand slips into Harry’s and he pulls the boy up from the bed. “We’d better get you out of here before she gets back then.” 

“Wait,” Harry protests even as he slides off the bed to his feet. “I can’t leave. Didn’t you hear me? She always knows when I try.”

“Yeah, but I bet she doesn’t expect you to fly!” Louis says, with a mischievous grin. 

“I don’t know how though. Are you planning to carry me?”

“I mean, I _could_ ,” Louis says, puffing up his chest, full of bravado. He does have some nice arm muscles, thank you. “But I won’t have to because we are going to teach you to fly.”

“ _We?_ ” Harry asks, looking wary again.

Louis grins and turns to the window, lifting his fingers to his mouth and letting out a sharp whistle.

*

Harry watches with wide eyes as a little ball of light flies in the window of the tower. He nearly stumbles trying to back away as it flies closer to him, but Louis is there to catch him, keeping him upright. 

“What is that?” He asks, stepping behind Louis and huddling close.

 _“Who,"_ Louis corrects, holding out his hand as the little ball of light flies to him and settles in his palm. The glow of the light fades until Harry can make out a little person with wings standing there. “Harry, meet Tinker Bell. She’s a fairy. Tink, this is Harry.”

Tinker Bell holds out a tiny little hand to him, so Harry glances at Louis before reaching around him after getting a nod of approval and gently pinches her hand between his thumb and index finger, moving it up and down. “It’s nice to meet you,” he tells her.

When she speaks, all Harry can hear is a high pitched humming. 

“What did she say?”

“She said, ‘it’s nice to meet you too, and try not to sneeze,” Louis translates.

Harry is very confused. “Why would I--”

He’s cut off by Tinker Bell flying up and tossing a cloud of sparkling dust in his face.

“Oh,” he gets out before he automatically feels his nose scrunching against the urge to sneeze. He raises his arm and sneezes into the elbow of his shirt sleeve. “What was that?” 

“Pixie dust! Now all you need is happy thoughts and you can flyyyy…” Louis trails off as he lifts off the ground and flies around the room, taking a few circuits with Harry watching before landing softly in front of him again. “Go on, try it.”

“Happy thoughts,” Harry murmurs, wondering what would constitute an actual happy thought in this tower. He closes his eyes and tries to imagine something happy. Suddenly, it hits him. His dream. He doesn’t know if he’s ever been happier than he felt on that island in his dream.

“Watch your head,” Louis’ voice whispers in his ear and Harry startles, eyes flying open to find himself floating fifteen or so feet off the floor.

He gasps and his mind blanks and he starts to plummet back down, but Louis is right next to him and catches him, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist and hugging him to his body.

“Happy thoughts, love,” he reminds Harry, his breath falling softly on Harry’s neck from where Harry is clutching onto him tightly. “Whatever you do, you have to hold on to your happy thought.”

“Right,” Harry agrees numbly, grasping at his happy thought again. _He’s on the island. And there are other boys there, all happy to see him, all wanting to be his friend._

“There we are,” Louis says approvingly as Harry’s thought lifts them a little higher. 

Harry looks at him, gaze getting caught on the sweet smile on his face and another thought flits through Harry’s mind. A brief flash of what it might be like to press his lips to Louis’. He’s never kissed anyone before and it sends a zip of excitement down his spine to even wonder. 

“Whoa!” Louis cries out with a laugh as they suddenly shoot up a little higher. “You’re definitely getting the hang of this,” he teases, smoothly moving them down lower so they don't hit the roof. 

“Sorry,” Harry utters, cheeks burning with embarrassment. 

“It’s alright, you’re learning,” Louis says with a chuckle. “Do you want to try it on your own?” 

Harry glances down at the floor, nervously. Climbing down out of the tower hadn’t been so bad because he’d had his hair rope to hold onto and he knows he’s not up _that_ high right now, but there are no ropes to hold onto now either. 

Louis must sense his hesitance because he lowers them down to the floor, letting Harry put his feet back on solid ground again. He lets go of Harry, taking a step back to give him space, and honestly, that makes it a little easier to stay down because the rush of disappointment Harry feels dims the happiness of his thoughts a bit.

“Go on,” Louis urges him with an encouraging smile. “You can do it.”

Harry’s feet lift off the ground at the sight of it. 

Tinker Bell flies up to Harry’s face, humming at him for a second before she zips off suddenly. He looks to Louis for direction.

“She said, 'catch me if you can',” Louis explains, grin expanding in excitement. “I love this game!”

He kicks off the floor and gives chase, calling “C’mon, Harry!” as he flies after Tinker Bell around the room.

Harry laughs, lifting even higher off the floor. He’s never played a game before. At least, not with someone else. 

Tinker Bell flies right up to his face, stopping for a moment to stick her tongue out at him and flick the tip of his nose before zipping off again with tinkling laughter. Before he knows it, Harry is following, chasing her with outstretched hands, buoyant with absolute glee.

“Look at you go!” Louis cheers and Harry turns to see that Louis isn’t chasing anymore. He’s seated with his legs crisscrossed, floating in the air as he watches Harry and Tinker Bell play. “I knew you could do it!”

And that’s when it really hits Harry that he’s flying! He laughs, twirling through the air, showing off for Louis. He’s never felt so free.

As the word flits through Harry’s mind, he slows to a stop in front of his window to stare at the world outside. It’s been a while since being out there felt like a possibility. 

“The offer is still open,” Louis says, quietly landing and stepping up to his side. “We can go to my home. There are other boys there. Lost too, but together we make a family. You can join us if you want.”

Harry turns to Louis, sees the open hand he’s offering. “I do want that.”

“Then take my hand.”

Harry reaches to do just that but stops before their skin can touch, eyes going wide. “The witch, she’s coming!”

“Then, let’s go!” Louis says, climbing up onto the window and holding out his hand again. 

“I can’t think happy thoughts right now, Louis. I’m too scared,” Harry tells him, frozen to the spot he’s on.

The witch appears in a burst of smoke on the other side of the room and Tinker Bell flits past, flying dizzying circles around her head as Louis leans toward Harry, still offering his hand. 

“Do you trust me?” He asks urgently.

Harry looks at him, panic in his chest and lead in his feet but he nods. He _does._

“I swear,” Louis promises, “I won’t let you fall.”

Harry looks over his shoulder to see Tinker Bell toss a cloud of pixie dust in the witch’s face, making her sneeze repeatedly. He looks back at Louis and all he can see is light and hope and promise. He takes Louis’ hand, climbing up on the window next to him. 

“Hold on tight, love,” Louis says, tightening his grip on Harry’s hand. Harry does the same. 

“NO!” The witch shouts but Tink keeps her too preoccupied to chase them.

Harry looks at Louis, Louis gives him a smile of encouragement, and then… they jump.

*

Louis sees the moment when the fear leaks out of Harry’s eyes as they lift higher in the sky. His worry doesn’t completely go away though as he keeps looking over his shoulder back towards the tower.

“She won’t follow,” Louis calls over the wind. 

“I saw Tinker Bell hit her with pixie dust,” Harry says, taking another look behind them. 

“Somehow I don’t think people like her _have_ happy thoughts, Harry,” Louis argues. 

Tinker Bell flies up next to Louis, humming loudly at him and swinging her arms around violently.

“Right, ‘and even if she did, we’d protect you’,” Louis translates. “You’re one of us now, Harry.”

From the soft smile on his face, Louis thinks maybe he likes the sound of that. 

“Where are we going?” Harry asks, seemingly letting all thoughts of the witch go and looking around in wonder. 

“I’d say the second star to the right,” Louis says, pointing even further into the sky, “but it’s not dark enough to see them yet.”

“Well, what’s it called, this star?”

“Some call it Neverland. I call it home,” Louis tells him with a smile. He hopes Harry will come to call it that too.  
  


*

It’s a long journey to Neverland but Louis holds onto Harry’s hand the whole way and Harry is too filled with awe and excitement to even think of getting tired. Eventually, they break through a cloud bank, somewhere on a distant star, and start a descent into a beautiful place unlike anything Harry has ever seen before. Not even in his imagination. 

Below them, Harry sees a ship and his excitement grows again as they get close to it. He’s never seen one in real life before.

“Hiya, James!” Louis calls out to someone as they fly a slow circle around the large ship that’s flying a pirate flag. 

The man is dressed far more opulently than the others on deck and all of the books Harry has read lead him to believe this man must be the Captain.

“Louis!,” he whines, stomping his foot and pointing the hook he has in place of a hand at the two of them. “How many times have I told you? I have to have a fierce pirate name if I’m to be taken seriously!”

“Oh sorry,” Louis giggles, making Harry smile at the sound even though he has no idea what’s going on. “Good evening, Captain Hook.”

“That’s better,” James nods approvingly, pushing his hat up with his hook. “Now get out of here, you scallywags, before I gut you with my hook!”

Harry looks at Louis with wide eyes. He’d rather his guts stay where they are.

“It’s fake,” Louis tells him with a wink, just as James drops his hook with a clatter. 

“Dammit!” James curses, bending to pick it up by the small handle hidden underneath it.

Harry laughs joyously at the sight and Louis smiles at the sound, pulling him away and flying them farther into this wondrous new land.

*

“Here we are,” Louis says, landing them on a sandy beach where they’re soon surrounded by a large group of boys. 

Harry’s breath catches in his throat. This is just like his dream. 

“Settle down! Alright! I know you’re all excited, just settle down and I’ll introduce you to our guest!” Louis laughs, ruffling the hair of some of the younger boys with his free hand. “Boys, this is Harry. Harry, these are the Lost Boys.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Harry tells them before they’re all talking at once, asking where he’s from and what his clothes are made of, and how old he is. 

“Boys!” Louis calls, breaking through the chaos. “Why don’t you all go fix Harry a nice place to sleep tonight. He’s been traveling for a really long time. We can introduce everyone properly later.”

The Lost Boys all do as they’re told, some running off excitedly and others shuffling away grumpily.

“Tink, can you scrounge up some food for him?” Louis asks Tinker Bell next, soon leaving the two of them blissfully alone.

Harry looks at Louis gratefully, ”Thanks, that was… a little overwhelming.”

“I imagine all of this is,” Louis says, squeezing Harry’s fingers before seeming to realize that he should probably let go now. “Oh, sorry,” He moves to pull his hand from Harry’s but Harry squeezes tighter.

“Please don’t,” he pleads, stepping closer to Louis. “I’m so happy to be here, really. It’s a beautiful place, but my world has been confined to the walls of that tower for nearly all my life. I don’t know if I can be somewhere so… open on my own yet.”

“That’s fine,” Louis says, taking another step closer to Harry and clasping his hand tightly once more. “I’m happy to do whatever it takes to make you comfortable here, Harry. I hope you’ll come to think of Neverland as home. Just as I do.”

“I don’t think that will be too hard,” Harry assures him, smiling brightly. “Thank you, Louis. For saving me and bringing me here.”

“I mean, Tink deserves most of the credit,” Louis tells Harry sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “She’s the one who heard your wish.”

“My wish?” Harry repeats, unsure of what Louis means. “I never made a wish.”

“Your dream,” Louis explains. “A dream is a wish the heart makes. At least, that’s what Tink says. She’s the one who said there was a boy who needed us.”

“Well, I’ll have to thank her too, then. I’m not sure I could have escaped without you though,” Harry says, hesitating for a moment before continuing on. “And for that, I’d like to give you a kiss if that’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay. I love gifts,” Louis laughs, holding out his hand. 

Harry stares at his hand for a moment, looking at Louis curiously. “Don’t you know what a kiss is?” Even Harry knows what a kiss is but that’s thanks to the handful of books he had that had described them. 

“I’ll know when you give me one.”

Harry reaches out, gently pushing Louis’ hand back down and leaning forward to press his lips ever so softly to Louis’.

“ _Oh_ ,” Louis breathes when Harry pulls away, breaking the kiss. He stares down at Harry’s lips, mesmerized. “Thank you.”

“Any time,” Harry answers with a blush.

Later that night, Harry meets all of his new friends as they eat around a campfire. They chat and laugh and they’re all so excited to have Harry join their family. Louis stays by Harry’s side the entire time. 

Over time, Neverland does come to feel like home. Harry doesn’t have to worry about the witch ever finding him again, not here where he’s got his Lost Boys and maybe not-so-fierce pirates (who are secretly extremely fierce friends), and Louis. 

Harry isn’t quite sure what he and Louis are but he knows that it’s something special. Each day, at least once, he’ll do something sweet and ask Harry for a kiss in return. He says he’s dreamed of Harry’s kisses ever since he learned what they are. And well, who is Harry to deny him such powerful wishes. 

And they all live happily ever after. Well, Tinker Bell rolls her eyes at them a lot and complains about how sappy Louis has become, but Harry can tell that she’s secretly happy for them. So, he’s pretty sure it still counts. 

The End

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it!


End file.
